Device for the feeding and cyclic treatment of a body with synchronizing of treatment device and feed device

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE FOR FEEDING AND CYCLICALLY PROCESSING A LONGITUDINAL BODY, FOR INSTANCE, A WEB OF SHEET MATERIAL WHICH IS WITHDRAWN FROM A SUPPLY ROLL AND IS TO BE CUT INTO INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF THE DESIRED LENGTH. A FEEDING DEVICE PROVIDED WITH ROLLERS ON AT LEAST ONE SHAFT IS ROTATED DURING THE OPERATION OF A PROCESSING DEVICE, SUCH AS A CUTTER WHEN A WEB IS TO BE CUT, ALTERNATELY WITH A HIGH SPEED AND A LOWER SPEED. THE PROCESSING DEVICE ALSO HAS AT LEAST ONE SHAFT WHICH IS ROTATED ALWAYS WITH THE SAME SPEED, FOR SYNCHRONIZING THE FEEDING DEVICE AND THE PROCESSING DEVICE A PHOTOELECTRIC SCANNING HEAD IS PROVIDED WHICH SCANS MARKS ARRANGED IN LENGTHWISE SPACED RELATION ON   THE LONGITUDINAL BODY AND OPERATES A RELAY WHICH LATER CONTROLS ELECTRO-MAGNETIC CLUTCHES IN THE FEEDING DEVICE AND A CONTROL CAM FOR EFFECTING A SPEED CONTROL OF SAID FEEDING DEVICE IN SUCH MANNER THAT AFTER A FEW INITIAL UNEVEN FEED OPERATIONS THE LONGITUDINAL BODY IS ADVANCED WITH UNIFORM SPEED IN RELATION TO THE PROCESSING DEVICE.

NOV. 16, 1971 F BQSSHARD 3,620Jflfl 1 DEVICE FOR THE FEEDING AND CYCLIC TREATMENT OF A BODY WITH SYNCHRONIZING OF TREATMENT DEVICE AND FEED DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1969 NOV. 16, 1971 BQSSHARD 3,620,111

DEVICE FOR THE FEEDING AND CYCLIC TREATMENT OF A BODY WITH SYNCHRONIZING OF TREATMENT DEVICE AND FEED DEVICE Filed Dec. 1, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll' Fig. 2

Nov. 16, 1971 F. BOSSHARD DEVICE FOR THE FEEDING AND CYCIJIC 'llflilA'lMl'lN'l 01" A BODY WITH SYNCHRONIZING OF TREATMENT DEVICE AND FEED DEVICE Filed Dec. 1, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 K" I S 4' 4 I l {55% 2'! r k i I I k l 1 51 1 1 I i i P 5 T 1' i l 1 J1 b "i ...E.&, ZIJ; If Fi ."...1*...... ...1 4mm; A Mam NOV. 16, 1971 BQSSHARD 3,620,111

DEVICE FOR THE FEEDING AND CYCLIC TREATMENT OF A BODY WITH SYNCHRONIZING OF TREATMENT DEVICE AND FEED DEVICE Filed Dec. 1, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 5

United States Patent Ofice 3,620,111 Patented Nov. 16, 1971 3,620,111 DEVICE FOR THE FEEDING AND CYCLIC TREAT- MENT OF A BODY WITH SYNCHRONIZING OF TREATMENT DEVICE AND FEED DEVICE Fritz Bosshard, Kaltenbach, Switzerland, assignor to Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland Filed Dec. 1, 1969, Ser. No. 881,014 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Dec. 3, 1968, 18,004/68 Int. Cl. B23d 25/12 US. Cl. 83-74 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for feeding and cyclically processing a longitudinal body, for instance, a web of sheet material which is withdrawn from a supply roll and is to be cut into individual pieces of the desired length. A feeding device provided with rollers on at least one shaft is rotated during the operation of a processing device, such as a cutter when a web is to be cut, alternately with a high speed and a lower speed. The processing device also has at least one shaft which is rotated always with the same speed. For synchronizing the feeding device and the processing device a photoelectric scanning head is provided which scans marks arranged in lengthwise spaced relation on the longitudinal body and operates a relay which latter controls electro-magnetic clutches in the feeding device and a control cam for effecting a speed control of said feeding device in such manner that after a few initial uneven feed operations the longitudinal body is advanced with uniform speed in relation to the processing device.

The invention relates to a device for feeding and cyclically processing a body with synchronization of the processing device and the feed device, in such manner, that the body is fed between the treatments following one another consecutively, each by a predetermined amount. The body may, for example, consist of a paper web which is drawn from a supply roll and the treatment may consist in the cutting off of pieces of predetermined length from this web. Previously, with such devices the paper web is mainly fed a predetermined amount and the cutting performed at a standstill of the web; with Such a stepwise feed of the web, however, the speed of operation is relatively low and the adjusting work required for the changing of the length drawn off the drum is considerable.

In order to eliminate this disadvantage, the device according to the invention is distinguished in this, that a first one of the mentioned devices has at least one shaft, which during each operating cycle of the processing device rotates alternately with a greater and with a lower speed, while the second device has at least one shaft which always rotates with the same speed, and that for the synchronization of the two devices, means are provided which reverse the first device according to the prerequisite amount alternately from the greater to the lower speed, and vice versa.

It is frequently desired to cut a paper web at specific predetermined points. This causes difficulties because already quite minor deviations from the desired length of the pieces during the course of the treatment constitute a substantial amount. In a preferred embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention, this difficulty is also eliminated.

The predetermined amount, by which the body is fed between two operative cycles must not necessarily be the same; it may rather have in consecutive operating cycles different lengths (cut-off lengths).

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, which by Way of example illustrates a few embodiments.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a device for the feeding and cutting of a paper web;

FIG. 2 is an electric diagram of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining the operation of the device according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a further diagram explaining a particular application of the device according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an electric diagram for a modification of the device according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates the profile of a control cam provided in FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 1 the device has a shaft 1 carrying a supply roll of paper web 2 which is to be unwound. For this purpose the web 2 travels through a feed device 3 with two pairs of feed rolls 4 provided each with a rubber coating, which are mounted in spaced relation on two vertically spaced shafts 5 or 6, extending perpendicularly to the direction of feed of the web 2. The web 2 is assumed in the drawing for reasons of illustration to be transparent. The shafts 5 and 6 are coupled with one another at one of their ends by means of two similar gear wheels 7 meshing with one another. At the other end, the shafts '5 and 6 are connected with each other by electromagnetic couplings 8 or 9, respectively, with two interengaging gear wheels 10, or 11, respectively, of which the gear wheel 10 has more teeth than the gear wheel 11. The gear wheel 10 also meshes with a gear wheel 12, which is driven by a prime mover not shown.

The gear wheel 12 serves also as a drive for a cutting device 13, which has two shafts 14 and '15 provided on opposite sides of the web and extending perpendicularly to the feed direction of the web 2, said shafts being coupled with each other at one of their ends two similar gear wheels '16 meshing with one another. The shaft 15 carries a knife 17, which cooperates with a counter-blade 18 disposed on the shaft 14, and is shown in that position in which it cuts through the web 2. On the shaft 14 is also arranged a gear wheel 19 which is driven by the gear wheel 12, and also carries a reversing cam 20, which is engaged by the actuating member 21 of a switch 22.

The paper web 2 is provided along one of its edges with marks (centering marks) 23, which are arranged at equal distances from one another. A photoelectric scanning head 24, which is used for scanning the marks, is arranged to be slidably adjustable along the path of the web 2 in any type of known manner.

In accordance with FIG. 2, an output conductor 25 of the scanning head 24 leads to a relay 26 the other conductor of which is grounded. This relay 26 has three contacts 26a, 26b and 260. A conductor 27 energizes the scanning head 24 and serves for the energization of the control windings 28 and 29 of the electromagnetic couplings 8 or 9, respectively.

By means of the described device, in the manner described more in detail in the following, the cutting device 13 cuts from the paper web 2 individual pieces having the length a, when the web 2 is fed continuously, namely, alternately with two speeds different from one another, and dependent on the transmission ratio of the gear wheels 10 and 11.

In FIG. 2 it is assumed that a mark 23 is about to be moved in front of the scanning head 24, and that the actuating member 21 of the switch 22 is located on a high peripheral portion 20a of the reversing cam 20', and thereby holds the switch 22 closed. As long as the relay is found in the position of rest as shown, the winding 29 is energized by the rest-current contact 260 and accordingly the coupling 9 is closed, while the circuit of the winding 28 is interrupted by means of the operating contact 26b and accordingly the coupling 8 is open. The feed shaft is driven by the gear wheels 12, 10, 11, the coupling 9, the shaft 6 and the gear wheels 7 with a number of revolutions al which corresponds to a feeding speed v of the web 2.

When now the mark 23 is moved directly below the scanning head 24, an output voltage is supplied to the relay 26, so that the same responds and thereby the winding 29 becomes deenergized and the winding 28 becomes energized. At the same time, the holding contact 26a closes a holding circuit 27, 26a, 22, 25, 26 to ground, so that the relay 26 even after the mark 23 has moved past the scanning head 24, remains energized. The shaft 5 is now driven by the gear wheels 12 and 10 and the coupling 8, and drives by means of the gear wheels 7 the shaft 6 with a speed of rotation :4 which corresponds to a feed speed v while the gear wheel 11 rotates idly because the coupling 9 is open. The speed of rotation u or the speed v respectively, is smaller than the speed of rotation 11 or the speed v because the gear wheel 11 has less teeth than the gear wheel 10.

The shafts 5 and 6 or the feed rolls 4, respectively, rotate for as long with the speed of rotation 14 until the actuating member 21 reaches a low peripheral portion, 20b of the reversing cam 20, and thereby opens the switch 22, so that the holding circuit is interrupted and the relay 26 drops off. Thereby the coupling 9 is again closed and the coupling 8 is opened, whereupon the described operative cycle is repeated. As apparent from FIG. 3, with each operating cycle, by means of the cutting device 13a piece is cut off from the paper web 2, whose length at the start of the operation of the device is at first different from the distance a between the marks 23, but after a few cycles, however, will be equal to this distance.

In FIG. 3 are entered on the abscissae axis the length of the paper web 2 and on the ordinal axis the revolutions following consecutively of the shafts 14 and 15 of the cutting device 13. The points M M M M to M of the abscissae axis correspond to consecutive marks 23 at a predetermined distance a. The points T T T T and T of the ordinal axis correspond to consecutive reversing points of the cam after each full revolution of the shafts 14 and 15, whereby during these revolutions, the knife 17 at the points S S S and 8,; indicated on the ordinal axis encounters the counterblade 18 and cuts the web 2. The straight line g extending from the zero point M T corresponds to a condition at which the web 2 would be continuously moved with greater speed v and the steeper straight line g to a condition, at which the web would be constantly moved with the smaller speed v since the cutting device 13 is driven by the gear wheels 12, 19 with constant speed, the piece of web a cut off at the greater speed v would be longer than the piece of web a cut off at the lower speed v As during one revolution of the shafts 14 and 15 of the cutting device 13, or of the reversing cam 20, respectively, the feed of the web 2 takes place partially with the greater and partially with the lower speed v or v respectively, for the length 5 (cut-off length) of the actually out piece of the web, the Equation a E a holds good, and it is found that at a desired starting position of the marks 23 with reference to the knife 17, already after a few reversing cycles 5 will become equal to a.

In FIG. 3 are indicated two broken lines p and q which illustrate the function of the device for two very different starting conditions. In both cases, indeed, at the beginning of the rotation T T the web 2 moves with the greater speed v for the line p or q, respectively, however, the point P or Q, in which through the appearance of the mark M under the scanning head 24 the control winding 28 of the coupling 8 is connected and the control winding 29 of the coupling 9 is disconnected, lies at a very great or at a very short distance from the starting point P or Q respectively of this line p or q, respectively. From P or Q respectively up to the reversing point P or Q respectively, the lines 2 and q extend parallel to g from P of Q respectively, to the contrary, parallel to g and indeed up to the points P or Q respectively, in which the reversing cam 20 again reverses the couplings 8 and 9 to the greater speed v It is apparent that the lines p and q converge very rapidly on one another, so that their points P P P etc. and Q Q Q etc. coincide and already for the cutting length 6 corresponding to the cutting points S and S the Equation E=a is met.

If with the same device a paper web is used, whose marks 23 have any other distance a from one another than that distance assumed in FIG. 3, then still the cutting length 6 will always be similar to this other distance a, with the prerequisite that the distance a between the marks between the limit values a and a In this connection, the maximum or the minimum mark distance a or a respectively, is equal to the cutting lengths a or a respectively, at the greater or the lower speed v or v respectively. With the dimensioning of the feed device 3 and the cutting device 13, particularly the selection of the transmission ratio of the gear wheels 10 and 11, it is accordingly to be noted in what area of cutting length the device is to operate, without having to be altered. That a change of this area by an exchange of gear wheels is possible without difficulty, is obvious. It is further easy to understand that the lines p and q converge the more rapidly, the greater the difference is between a and 11 The gear wheels of the feedand of the cutting-device may obviously also be connected with one another by means of endless chains. If the gear wheel 10 is selected smaller than the gear wheel 11, then obviously the greater feeding speed v occurs with a closed coupling 8 and the lower feeding speed v with a closed coupling 9.

Normally the paper web is not cut in or at the marking points M themselves. If this is desired, then it is sufficient to slide the scanning head 24 along the web 2 by the amount by which the cuts deviate from the marks. The distance between scanning head 24 and cutting device 13 will then amount to a complete multiple of E. It is obvi ously a coincidence dependent upon the introduction of the beginning of the web 2 between the feed rolls '4, if a mark 23 is located then directly under the scanning head 24, when the reversing cam 20 is positioned at the opening point of the switch 22, as is assumed in FIG. 3 at the zero point M T this assumption, however, playing no part in the construction and convergence of the lines p and q.

If marks are applied to the web, which alternatingly have a plurality, for example, three different distances a, b and c from one another, then with the described device alternatingly pieces with correspondingly many different cutting lengths U, h and 5 may be cut off, whereby then 6+5+5=a+b+a This will be explained more in detail with reference to FIG. 4. In FIG. 4 for the sake of clarity, it is assumed that as a result of a corresponding adjustment of the rotary position of the cam 20 on the shaft 14 the cutting points S S S etc. indicated on the ordinal axis coincide with the reversal points T T T On the axis of the abscissae there are indicated consecutively three groups of marks M M M between which are present the distances a, b, c, and corresponding three groups of, cutting lengths E, F, 5. The broken line r starting from the zero point R S T coincides up to the point R corresponding to the mark point M with the straight line g which corresponds to the greater feeding speed v From the point R on and up to the point R corresponding to the cuttingand reversal-point S T the line r is parallel to the straight line g which corresponds to the smaller feeding speed v and to the now following points R R R etc. the line r extends now alternately parallel to g and g It is apparent that with the aforementioned cutting lengths 71:, b, E, the distances :1, b, c of the marks M M M required on the paper web 2 may be determined in this manner, that one constructs a line r whose points R R R R etc. are determined by the end points of the cutting lengths E, F, E and the cutting-off points S, T. By drawing through the points R R R etc. the parallel lines to g and g there are obtained the points R R R R etc. and accordingly the points M M M M etc. and accordingly the sought for distances a, b, c. If the cam 20 is adjusted otherwise on the shaft 14, then the points 5 have a constant distance from the points T, which has no influence on the cutting lengths E, F, 'c' and the corresponding marks distances a, b, c. It is furthermore obvious, that with another assumption for the starting point of. the line 5 at the beginning the desired cutting lengths would still not be given exactly the desired lengths to be cut, but only after some operative cycles, as has been shown on the basis of FIG. 3, have been completed.

The device according to FIG. 1 may be altered in such manner that the gear wheel 19 and the cam 20 are secured to the shaft 5 of the feed device 3, and that the gear wheels 10 and 11 are connected by the couplings 8 and 9 with the shafts 14 and 15 of the cutting device 13. The web 2 is then continuously moved on with a constant speed, while a part of each rotation of the shafts 14 and 15 takes place with a greater and another part with a lower speed of rotation. This may be of advantage for the cooperation of the device with certain packing mechanisms.

If it is not of importance that the paper web 2 is cut at quite predetermined points, as is the case for printed packing webs, whose imprint must appear at a predetermined position on each packing, then one may dispense with the marks 23 and the scanning head 24. In such a case, however, a suitable reversal cam is required, which also carries out the reversal which is eifected in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2 by the scanning head 24. This modification is shown in FIG. 5. It is apparent that as long as the actuating member 21 of the reversing switch or change-over switch engages the high peripheral portion 20a of the cam 20", the winding 28 of the coupling 8 is energized and accordingly the web 2 moves with the lower speed v If the actuating member 21', however, engages the low peripheral portion 20b of the cam 20', then the winding 29 of the coupling 9 is energized and the web 2 moves with the greater speed v while the low peripheral portion 20b of the cam 20 corresponds solely to one switching point, the portion 20b extends over a sector angle a, which together with the speeds v and v determines the cutting length 5. FIG. 6 shows the form of the cam 20' more accurately. FIG. 7 shows how the angle a corresponding to a desired cutting length 6 may be determined, namely, in that a parallel line is drawn through R to g,,, and thereby the second switching point R is attained, which now, however, does not correspond to the mark M as in FIG. 4, but corresponds to the end of the section 20b with the sector angle a.

The modification according to FIG. 5, as compared with a device in which the feed rolls 4 can be rotated solely with a single speed, has the advantage, that the cutting lengths may be altered solely by means. of interchanging of the cam 20" by a cam of similar type, however, having another sector angle or, instead of for example interchanging a pair of gear wheels. The arrangement according to FIG. 5 may, however, obviously also be provided with a scanning head 24 as shown in FIG. 2, whereby one must take care solely by means of a corresponding circuit that either the one or the other circuit may be utilized. When the paper web 2 has no marks, for example is not printed or is provided with a so-called Spray-imprint, that is, with a printing design, which may appear on a packing at a desired position, then the same 6 device may be utilized with the circuit according to FIG. 5 but shutting down the scanning head 24. Without the circuit according to FIG. 5, the device is limited to the treatment of webs of paper provided with marks or other foil-shaped materials.

The invention is not limited to devices in which a web of paper or the like is to be cut into pieces of predetermined length. Similar devices may be provided for the carrying out of other work on bodies, for example, on tubings, cables. For example, tubing may be formed from a web of foil in known manner, whereby the tubing is welded together and cut at regular lengths, whereby the individual tubing sections in known manner may be filled with a material to be packed. With such a device, the feed device for the tubing may now be synchronized with the weldingand cutting-device, just as the device 3 is synchronized with the device 13 of FIG. 1. It is furthermore, for example, possible to press rings onto a cable at predetermined distances, for influencing its mechanical and/ or electrical properties.

In order to insure a clean modus operandi, the speed of rotation of the operating tool during its working on the work-piece to be treated, must correspond approximately to the feeding speed of the latter. Referring to the device according to FIG. 1, this means:

The circumferential speed of the cutting device 13, during the cutting operation must correspond at least approximately to the particular feeding speed 1 or in any case v (upon deviation, there must be counted on a bulging or tearing of the strip). By means of corresponding adjustment of the cam 20 relatively to the cutting device 13, the cutting operation may be established in the area or range of the feeding speed v or v as the case may be.

What I claim is:

1. Device for feeding and cyclically processing a longitudinal body with synchronization of a processing device and a feeding device, in which the longitudinal body between successive processing operations is advanced a predetermined distance, comprising a feeding device having at least one shaft which during each operative cycle of the processing device rotates alternately with a greater and with a lower speed, said processing device having at least one shaft which constantly rotates with a uniform speed, and means for synchronizing the operations of said two devices, said means causing said feeding device to operate according to a predetermined amount alternatively with a greater speed and a lower speed, and vice versa, said feeding device being provided with two parallel shafts, drive members on said shafts and connected with each other for simultaneous rotation of said shafts, each of said shafts being connected each by a separate coupling with driven members which are driven by a a main drive member with different speeds, said separate couplings by changeover means are adapted to be separately opened and closed, said processing device being also provided with two parallel shafts, means for coupling said last mentioned parallel shafts with each other for simultaneous rotation, said means comprising driven members which are driven by a single driven member which is driven by said main drive member, and a reversal cam on one of said last mentioned parallel shafts for con trolling a switch member which forms a part of said change-over means.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which said couplings are electromagnetic, and an electric switch for controlling the circuit of control windings of said couplings.

3. Device according to claim 2, including a photoelectric scanning head for scanning spaced marks provided lengthwise along said longitudinal body, said scanning head when scanning a mark on said body being effective to influence a relay which closes the circuit of the one control winding and opens the circuit of another control winding, and at the same time closes a holding circuit for the relay itself, which is first opened when an actuating 7 member of said switch engages a predetermined point on the reversal cam.

4. Device according to claim 2, including means forming an arrangement (FIG. 5) having a switch with an actuating member, said switch according to the position of its actuating member engaging one of two other portions of the reversal cam, said switch being arranged in the circuit of one of said two control windings of said couplings.

5. Device according to claim 3, including means for making the device reversible from the one to the other of the mentioned arrangements (FIG. 2, FIG. 5), with interchange of the corresponding reversal cams (20, 20').

6. Device according to claim 1, including feed rolls on the two parallel shafts of the feeding device for advancing the longitudinal body comprising a length of sheet material, and that one of the two parallel shafts of the processing device carries a knife which is disposed opposite a counter blade on the other shaft.

7. Device according to claim 3, in which the scanning head is slidably adjustably mounted along the path of the longitudinal body.

8. Device according to claim 6, including means for causing the speed of the processing device during the engagement with the longitudinal body to be Worked upon to correspond at least approximately to the feeding speed of said feeding device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,096 5/1942 Sandberg 83-74 3,283,628 11/1966 Axlid et a1. 8374 3,489,326 1/1970 Singleton 226l78 X JAMES M. MEISTER, Primary Examiner U8. (:1. X.R. 22637, 178 

